Title
Recommend that the Monterey County Water Resources Agency Board of Supervisors adopt a resolution authorizing the General Manager to enter into a grant agreement with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to fund the Salinas River Lagoon Community Engagement and Planning Project.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Monterey County Water Resources Agency Board of Directors:
Recommend that the Monterey County Water Resources Agency Board of Supervisors adopt a resolution authorizing the General Manager to enter into a grant agreement with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to fund the Salinas River Lagoon Community Engagement and Planning Project.
SUMMARY:
The Monterey County Water Resources Agency (Agency) applied for and was awarded a $100,000 grant to fund the proposed Salinas River Lagoon Community Engagement and Planning Project (Project). Federal and corporate grant funds from the National Coastal Resilience Fund will be distributed through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) to fund the proposed Project.
DISCUSSION:
The proposed grant funded Project will build upon the 1997 Salinas River Lagoon Management and Enhancement Plan and the 2019 Salinas River Long-term Management Plan to develop a portfolio of projects and management strategies to enhance resilience and reduce flood risk at the Salinas River Lagoon. The Project will include a process to engage stakeholders, conservation organizations, and regulators to help identify and prioritize a list of projects or management strategies for future implementation. The process will prioritize nature based or hybrid projects that also benefit fish, wildlife, and water quality in the lower Salinas watershed.
The projects and strategies identified during this process will also be used to support the development of a Long-term Salinas River Lagoon Sandbar Management Plan and Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board permit for sandbar management activities. Applicable projects may also be evaluated as mitigation measures under proposed Salinas River Habitat Conservation Plan.
The Project will support Strategic Plan Goal D by identifying projects or strategies to improve the core functions of flood prevention and Salinas River Lagoon sandbar management; Goal A by evaluating existing flow regulating infrastructure related to the Salinas River Lagoon and Old Salinas River; Goal B by identifying projects that could support the mitigation requirements of the Salinas River Habitat Conservation Plan; and Goal C by leveraging grant funding to support these actions.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, National Marine Fisheries Service, Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board, and California State Parks will be invited to participate in the outreach process.
At the February 4, 2022 meeting, the Finance Committee offered support of an Agency Board of Directors recommendation that the Agency Board of Supervisors adopt a resolution authorizing the General Manager to enter into a grant agreement with the NFWF to fund the Salinas River Lagoon Community Engagement and Planning Project.
FINANCING:
The Agency will receive $100,000 in NFWF grant funding with approximately $100,000 of in-kind match. In-kind funding will be provided through equal combinations of Agency staff time and consultant spending. Approximately $50,000 of Agency funding will be identified between the FY23 and FY24 budgets to pay for consultant work to support the Project.
Prepared by: Jason Demers, Associate Water Resources Engineer, (831) 755-4860
Approved by: Brent Buche, General Manager, (831) 755-4860